Tobacco spreader



Aug 2 1932 F. H. B. s'rELzER 1,869,395

TOBACCO SPREADER Filed Aug. 17. 1929 Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE j FRANZ HEINRICH BENNo srELzEE, 0E nEEsnENQGEnis/IANY, Ass-IGNOE TO'THEEIEM- UNIVERSELLE CIGARETTENMAscrIINENfEeEEIK .1.10.v MULLER a co., or nItEs;

DEN, GERMANY i roEncco'fsrREAnEEf i Application filed August 17, 19.29,*Seria1 No. 386,557, and in Germany August 27, 1928.

ySeveral forms of tobacco spreaders have been proposed in which the tobacco bres are drawn by a suction device arranged on the' moving out of the range of the suction hopper is rolled back on itself instead of being released in the desired manner from the sieve surface and settles on the tobacco covering the sieve surface forming a layer of gradually increasing thickness which finally falls o in lumps. In order to avoid this disadvantage it has been suggested to shape the suction hopper in such manner as to form at the end of the suction area a gap tapering gradually towards the sieve surface and thus throttling the supply of air to the end of the suction area. i

In accordance with the present invention quite as reliable and satisfactory removal of the tobacco iieece from the moving sieve surface is obtained by forming the feed band receiving the fleece also as a moving sieve and arranging under the Hight feeding the fieece forwards a corresponding suction device. It is possible also in this way by imparting greater speed to the feed band to stretch the fleece and to dress its fibres by drawing them apart. The arrangement in accordance with the invention will conceivably be most effective when used with the form of suction hopper previously described on the fleece forming moving sieve. It may, however, be otherwise applied where this particular form of the suction hopper is absent.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l shows the present arrangement of tobacco spreader in conjunction with a moving sieve in the form of an endless band and with a suction hopper such as described above, in vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2 shows a modification. j Referringfto Fig. l .of the'drawingl is a tobacco hopper the bottom of `which is formed by the feed band 2 leading the tobacco f fibers to the moving sieve. The feed band 2 pushes the tobacco libres towards theplate 3 which acts as a. stripper and is assisted in this action by the compressed air nozzles'lf.v Beyond the latter is disposed a Ybrushingroller 5 serving to render the fleece uniform. The endless sieve band 6 is guided overthe three rollers 7'.l In the triangle thus formed -is disposed the suction hopper 8 the wall of which defining the rear end of thev suction area is shaped in the'manner shown in the drawing so as to form a gradually.' tapering gap 8a. At the other side of the suction areaisdis posed a brushing roller 9 for cleaning-the sieve band 6. t The feed band l0 receiving the fleece is also formed as a sieve and travels over the three o rollers 11 so as itself to form a trianglein which is arranged the suction hopper l2.- One wallof the hopper is also shaped in such manner as to forma gap 12a which grad-v ually tapers towards the end of the suction area.

on the relative degree of effective suction in Themanner in which lthe transfer of theiieece from the 'moving sieve16`to the `feed-bandv 10 in the overlappingportion of the two suction hoppers takes place depends y the twoY suction hoppers. Preferably means l y are providedl tocontrol the suction action of the hopper 12 in relation to that of the vhopper 8. In anycase by virtue ofl'the arranger ment forming the subject of'the'vpresent in-` vention the fleece is freed with certainty and satisfaction from the sievel band 6 and it can be stretchedand the fibres dressed. yby correspondingly arranging the speed ofmove mentof thel feed band 1 0.V The release of the fibres fromthe feed band l0-"is ensured as the, fleece with the band 10 passes vovergtheleft 1. I-Iere again between the flights of the sieve like feed band l0 passing overl the rollers 11 is disposed a suction hopper 12 ada ted to the space available with a Wall eXten ing towardsv the feed band and forming a gap 12a for the purposeof gradually reducing the suction action.-f Y

In the foregoing description suction. action and negative pressure have'V beendiscussedl but certaincircumstances an effective drop of air pressure having the same. effect can also be produced by using compressed air. which naturally requires suitably' shaped nozzles. v Y f I claimzf 'Y l. 'A tobacco spreader including suction means, perforated feed means moving over' the suctionmeans and adapted to take upthe tobacco fibres at-one point, a second perforated feed means at another point, a second suction means for said second feed means, andsaid rst suction' means having a graduallytaperinglareapartly overlapped by said secondffeed means whereby the tobacco fleece is transferred from the first feed means to the second feed means.

2. Means for spreading out' tobaccoy comprising, a moving perforated member for carrying a-tobaccofieece, means for creating suction through a portion of said member,

means near the delivery'point of thelatter for reducing said suction action gradually whereby said lfleece maybe removed, means for receiving saidremoved fleece and transporting the latter to the desired point, said lastnamed means including a moving perfo-v rated memberarranged adjacent the delivery point of said first named perforated member,

means for creating suctionthrough a. portion of saidsecond named perforated mem ber and means -for reducing the suction action ducing the suction action therethrough adjacent the delivery end thereof. v

5. In a device as per claim 4,in which said second named suction means includes a hopper the open end of which is adapted to lie Vbeneath said second named perforated mem- 6. In atobacco spreader, a conveyor, means for A*brushing the tobacco at the end of said y conveyor to render. the tobacco fleece uniform, a feed subjected tosuction adapted to pick upthe tobaccoA from said conveyor and a second feed' subjected to suction of which the suction area partly overlaps thefsuctionarea IDU therethrough adjacent the delivery point of f saidsecond namedmember.

V3. Means for spreadingn cut tobaccocomprising a lmoving perforated member for carrying a tobacco iieece, suction means adapted to act through a portion of vsaid member, a second perforated member adjacent'the delivery point of said first named member re ceivingysaid fleece, suction means adapted to act through a portion of said second named member and means ,for reducing the suction action therethrough adjacent theV delivery i point of'said second named-member.

. 4. Means for spreading cuttobacco'comprisingfa moving perforatedmemberfor carrying a tobacco fleece, suction means-adaptv ed to act through a portion of said member A to carry said fleece vand means for'removing the latter from said member andstretchin the same, said 'means including al Asecon movableperforated member adjacent the delivery-point o f said first named member, suc-` tion means adapted lto Nact through a'portion ofsaid last named memberandmeansfor re- 

